Cat Chat®

#221: Professional cat photographer Karen Hoglund says that the “sweet spot” for photographing a black cat is to place him at the edge of a sunbeam.

#220: Zazie Todd's book "PURR: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy," includes "scent as enrichment" on her "happiness checklist" — recommending you get toys with catnip, valerian, honeysuckle (that comes as a block of wood) and/or silver vine to discover which ones delight your particular cat’s amazing nose.

#219: Dr. Sameera Nalla discusses how being an intern at the Animal Behavior Wellness Clinic in Maryland is taking her beyond a lifelong dream of being a veterinarian, taking her on her way to becoming a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, a small and select specialty group.

#218: Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado talks about the dangers to a cat of any medication we put on our skin — pain relievers, hormones — and how your cat can wind up licking you or you can stroke and play with your cat and deposit some of the residue on their fur where they will groom it off.

#217: "Kitten Lady" Hannah Shaw talks about how she and her husband, Andrew Marttila, a distinguished professional cat photographer, created their book CATS OF THE WORLD to show us how philanthropic cat tourism can be a way for anyone to truly connect with like-minded citizens of the world who are looking after the their community cats. 

#216: Marlan Roberts, the Executive Director of Best Friends in New York City, talks about the 3-day adoption event Oct 12, 13 & 14 at the NYC Lifesaving Center in preparation for Best Friends being the beneficiary of the Premiere of the 6th Annual NY Cat Film Festival on October 15th.

#215: Nicole Tersigni created hilariously snarky captions to accompany stunning cat-inclusive paintings in her nifty little book “Cat People to Judge in Art and Life” [which will be in the gift bags of all the filmmakers attending the NYC Premiere of the 7th Annual NY Cat Film Festival on October 15th].

#214: Cate Conte's 8th book in her Cat Cafe cozy mystery series — “Shock and Paw” — is about the danger of losing the small newspaper on their island and an unscrupulous cat breeder attempting to create costly designer cats. 

#213: Michele Campbell explains how she turned a passion for her own kitties into popularity on TikTok with 600 episodes of her Cat’s Eye Witness News — three of which will be featured in the 7th Annual NY Cat Film Festival.

#212: Dr. Amy Pike, the board certified veterinary behaviorist who owns the Animal Behavior Wellness Clinic outside Washington, D.C., talks about the new anti-anxiety medication Bonqat, designed to calm cats before visits to the veterinarian. 

#211: Zazie Todd has a "happiness checklist" in her book "PURR: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy," which includes the importance of keeping a regular schedule for cats, who like the predictability of mealtimes and playtimes happening at pretty much the same time every day.

#210: Cat behaviorist and jazz singer Sara Goldenthal created "Angels Surround Us," soothing music for shelters to use free of charge to help lower the stress and anxiety of cats in shelters which she observed first hand.  

#209: Zazie Todd, author of "PURR," recommends grooming a short haired cat to get them to accept (or even love!) being brushed before they get old and actually need it. But no baths, please!

#208: Director Kim Best discusses her film “King of Cats,” that will be in the 7th Annual Cat Film Festival (the NYC Premiere is Oct 15th), featuring Harold "Catman" Sims — who started a cat rescue in his tool shed decades ago and expanded it to a 4,000 sq. foot open plan shelter, alongside his American Museum of the House Cat that draws thousands of visitors a year.

#207: Zazie Todd's book "PURR: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy" has instructions on how to teach your kitty to sit up on her haunches, using the advice she shares here on the how/where/what of giving treats as positive reinforcement. 

#206: Helen Brown credits her childhood kitty as her spiritual guide in her memoir "Mickey: The Cat Who Raised Me.”

#205: Patience is the name of the game! Rachel Geller (her non-profit helping with cat behavior is All Cats, All the Time) talks about the patience required to change cat's behavior and how she recently tried to help someone who was frustrated because the advice didn't work in only three DAYS! Patience is needed to change behavior (both for the cat and the person!)

#204: Starr Cameron talks about feline dementia and the research she's been doing to understand a cat's mental decline as she ages and how we can handle it.

#203: Tracie helps Bonnie to think differently about why her 9-month-old kitten Archie stalks and bites her — and ways she can redirect that energy.

#202: Cat behaviorist Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado discusses the cons (and some pros) of introducing a new kitten to your resident cat, who may be older, frail, and not interested in playing, much less rough housing.

#201: Jemma Forman did a study in England on cats who fetch and made some surprising discoveries.

#200: Mikel Maria Delgado (author of "Play With Your Cat!") discusses the importance of play for kittens, especially up to four months of age. Is it best to have two kittens to burn off their limitless energy with each other — instead of letting them chase and bite your toes?!

#199: Dr. Tracey Deiss is a "cat-vocate," and as part of the Zoetis professional team she is enthusiastic about the new anti-anxiety medication for cats called Bonqat — which relieves stress and anxiety for cats, especially when going for a visit to the veterinarian.

#198: Cats love boxes to play and hide in. Dr Mikel Maria Delgado talks about the ecological and financial benefits of repurposing a simple box into a highly desirable cat hangout. 

#197: Luke Hollenbeck is a cat interpreter, helping people understand why cats pee on their pillow, in their shoes or in their laps! Cats don't need privacy to eliminate, they need safety. 

#196: Mikel Maria Delgado talks about the importance of vertical space and how a cat tree is central to a cat’s need to feel safe - but just like in real estate remember what matters: location, location, location.

#195: Luke Hollenbeck, a certified behaviorist with the Animal Behavior Wellness Center in Washington D.C., wants to help people find connection with their cats and the problem with negative vocabulary being thrown around about cats — which was evident in the Washington Post headline story "Your Cat Isn't Being a Jerk,” for which he was interviewed.

#194: Rachel Geller's free non-profit cat behavior consultancy All Cats, All the Time helps with issues like reintroducing kitties who got off on the wrong foot — walk it back to the beginning, starting with putting the newcomer in "the sanctuary room."

#193: Sally Williams started the Brodie Fund to help pay for pets' cancer treatments, then she created Mission Meow. When her own kitty Mr. Jones was diagnosed with cancer, rather than despair she decided to view treatment as “the gift of time.” 

#192: Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins talks about a new drug that has just come out for cats with diabetes. It concerns her for many reasons: it is only partially effective, it has side effects serious enough to warrant an FDA "black box warning" (like those cigarette packs), plus it is very expensive. She and Tracie urge everyone to avoid creating diabetes in their cats by avoiding "kitty crack" — any dry food — and to feed their obligate carnivore only wet food.

#191: Emily Stein developed TEEF to help clean cats' mouths — which are teeming with “bad bacteria” that she refers to as “the Fungus Among Us,” especially for flat faced cats like Persians. She invented TEEF to “bring good bacteria to the party in a cat’s mouth.”

#190: "HOW TO TRAIN YOUR HUMAN: A Cat’s Guide" by Babas a clever guide from the perspective of a fairly snarky Italian cat about the strangeness of human behavior, featuring drawings by a famous fashion illustrator.

#189: Lisa Erickson's charming book “No Ordinary Cats” about the cats who have shared her life is told from their perspective in their "voices."

#188: Mikel Maria Delgado discusses Chapter Two of her new book “Play With Your Cat!” which explains how a cat is hard-wired to hunt and how play fulfills this fundamental need. For a cat, Play = joy.

#189:  Rick Du Charme talks about the cat clinic in Georgia that he opened to offer more affordable care, which he hopes to replicate in other towns for expanded accessibility.

#186: Mikel Maria Delgado talks about her new book “Play With Your Cat! The Essential Guide to Interactive Play for a Happier, Healthier Feline.” She explains why embracing and understanding the need for play in a cat’s life can be a game changer for them — and their people.

#185: Dr. Casey Locklear discusses the value of creating catios to give indoor cats a feel for the outdoors. Tracie suggests using the beautiful branches of expired coffee trees — often used for reptile and bird enclosures and safe for pets. NOTE: the discussion is about branches of coffee TREES no longer bearing fruit. This is totally different from the houseplant called a “coffee plant,” which is actually highly toxic to cats and should never be in your home! 

#184: Tracie invites listener Debra Blaine, a former human doctor and cat aficionado, to talk about how her SammyKat reluctantly accepted the introduction of Midnight, a kitty left behind to fend for herself in the winter by neighbors, who thought cats were “cold blooded” so they didn't mind freezing weather... and only needed to be fed twice a week!?

#183: Dr. Elizabeth joins Tracie to help a listener who has doubts about her veterinarian's decision to give prescription food to her cat. Are they missing something?

#182: Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado recommend getting a baby scale and weighing your cat regularly as a "health tracker" to note weight loss or gain, the impact of feeding changes, and even as an early warning of Hyper-T, a common treatable thyroid condition.

#181: Cat Behavior & Retention Specialist Rachel Geller praises the patient efforts of the man who adopted a super shy cat, Puma and gave the cat the time and space she needed to come out of her shell at her own pace.

#180: Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins felt so bad for her feral porch cats — Tux and Boris — in the minus 13 degree weather in Idaho that she ordered a heated outdoor cat house for them, not even knowing if they would dare to go in it. Tux the tuxedo cat immediately took up residence! {Maybe your feral kitties need one if your climate is really cold, too?] 

#179: Does you cat exhibit symptoms of stress and anxiety like over-grooming to the point of bald spots, or episodes of sudden intense aggression? Dr Mikel Maria Delgado discusses when to talk to your veterinarian about behavior medication [psychopharmaceuticals], after your vet has thoroughly checked your cat for any health issues which could be impacting behavior.

#178: Dr. Casey Locklear discusses how Revolution Plus is a once-monthly topical you put on the back of your cat's neck that is an all-around protectant to keep her safe from ticks, fleas, ear mites, hookworms, roundworms, and the untreatable heartworm — and has been doing so safely for over 20 years. 

#177: Dr. Jennifer Conrad tells about how people can make a donation to put their cat in the credits of the upcoming documentary film "American Cats: The Good, The Bad, and The Cuddly," that supports The Paw Project to help end declawing.

#176: Corrine Bourgoin — the adoption supervisor and shelter operations manager at MSPCA Boston — talks about why she has achieved a "return-to-owner rate" that is 10 times higher than rest of U.S. 

#175: Hanna Fushihara works with cats and their people online at Noseworkcats.com, to create an olfactory treasure hunt for kitties. Be amazed at how enriching your cat's life deepens your understanding and love of them.

#174: Jen Glick makes jewelry from whiskers and fur, but not only from pets who have passed away. If you find a shed whisker from your kitty, the Whisker Lady can transform it into jewelry. 

#173: Sarah Brown's book "The Hidden Language of Cats — How They Had Us at Meow" is filled with astonishing truths about kitties' unique communication with us, not the least of which is that they don't meow at each other!

#172: Dr. Ron Gaskin in Minnesota talks about the revolutionary surgical reversal he has pioneered to relieve the pain and disfigurement of the feet of declawed cats. He and Tracie talk about the cruelty and suffering being imposed on cats by veterinarians still mutilating cats' feet with declawing [although they know better] — and owners who don't discover the harm done until their cats wind up as "dead enders" in "no kill shelters" where they are unadoptable because their suffering has caused them to bite and stop using a litter box.

#171: Jae and Adrienne, The Crazy Cat Ladies, developed a "Cat symptom checker" which is an informational chart based on thousands of questions they have gotten from cat lovers about holistic, naturopathic treatments for feline problems.

#170: Katie Haegele's richly illustrated book “Cats I have Known” will remind you to reflect on the diversity of cats who have left their mark on your heart throughout your own life.

#169: Cat behaviorist Dr. Rachel Geller responds to the complaints of the owner of Ringo, but she and Tracie are sad to learn the owner didn't wait to hear solutions to the problems before giving up on her kitty. Please ask for help before you reach your own "last straw" moment.

#168: Lili Chin has taken the research about how cats communicate with us (or how they try to but we are not listening!) — and with charming drawings and simple explanations has made it easy for us to "speak cat." 

#167: Stacy LeBaron talks about starting a podcast about TNR and feral cats years ago, when people barely knew what a podcast was — and how her work has grown.

#166: JJ Yosh Simon is famous for his exploits with Simon, the Bombay cat who swims, kayaks, snowboards, white water rafts, and rock climbs with him. So he built his house for Simon!

#165: Megan runs Basil's Cradle Sanctuary and talks about helping many cats who were fat from eating "kitty crack" lose weight slowly and safely. She tells the sad but ultimately happy story of NeNe the Siamese — who went from 22 lbs. to 8 1/2 under her careful and loving care.

#164: Cat behaviorist Rachel Geller offers free advice to cat owners in a "no judgment zone" where she works together with them to solve problems. 

#163: Justice Le, owner of Doyen World, designs and creates unique cat toys with a "wow factor." Her fetching catnip toys will be in the party bags at the Dr. Elsey's' Meow Party (October 20th) at the NYC Meow Parlour, and in the filmmakers' gift bags at the 6th Annual NY Cat Film Festival on October 21st.

#162: Jae & Adrienne offer advice on social media to a huge following of cat lovers — learning and sharing information about cat wellness.

#161: Dr Elizabeth Hodgkins talks about the importance of slow and steady weight loss for overweight cats (no more than 1/4 lb a week) because abrupt weight loss can overwhelm their liver and cause life-threatening fatty liver disease. The fat cat needs at least 50% of his diet from high quality protein, which will bind with the fat packed around his liver and package it out of his body. 

#160: Author Cate Conte discusses her most recent Cat Café Mystery, set in a haunted inn visited by a psychic during Halloween, with an intrepid cat who solves one of the many mysteries.

#159: Jonathan Losos returns with his book “The Cat’s Meow: How Cats Evolved From the Savanna to Your Sofa” and describes what we can gather from the many different meow sounds each cat can make.

#158: Tracie’s co-host, Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado, explains the anatomy of a cat’s whiskers and also what you can learn about a cat’s frame of mind from watching the twitch of those whiskers.

#157: Brian Porter (the author of “Dreams of Arcadia,” a novel about a country veterinarian) discusses the challenges of taking in 11-year-old kitties, who had spent their entire lives in one home with his mother, until she passed away.

#156:  Carolyn Rafferty created the Scoop Buddy — a simple clip to hold a plastic bag on the end of the litter box to catch the litter when cleaning.  Her company, Cat Savant, is a MissionMeow partner along with Tracie, supporting generous grants to cat rescuers.

#155:  A listener whose kitten had feline leukemia gets sick every 2 weeks with 3 really bad days. Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins recommends finding a cat-focused vet to consider broad spectrum antibiotics to manage the upper respiratory symptoms.

 #0154: The simple answer is: Good grief NO! Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado discusses the myriad behavior problems that arise from cats who are not fixed, which optimally needs to happen before a kitten turns 5 months of age (when they can start reproducing --- kittens having kittens.)